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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23334751">Lost Memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AFluffyWolf/pseuds/AFluffyWolf'>AFluffyWolf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Zootopia (2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, My First Work in This Fandom, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Sad and Happy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:48:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,564</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23334751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AFluffyWolf/pseuds/AFluffyWolf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Memories are something you should not fool around with. They shape one’s personality. Without them, you’ll hurt those around you and only become the shadow of your past self. Such is the power of memories. Unfortunately, Nick will eventually learn this fact the hard way with Judy slowly forgetting about him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Judy Hopps &amp; Nick Wilde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lost Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first published work as a fanfictionner! I am so glad to finally be able to provide some stories to this wild and wonderful fandom! I truly hope you'll enjoy the read, don't hesitate to give me criticism!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  </p><p> </p><p><em> Love. This feeling is tricky and can take many forms. You can love your mother. You can love your friends. You can love your wife. You can love the taste of delicious sugary donuts on your taste buds. You can love a lot of things, in a lot of different ways. </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> But the hardest part of it isn’t figuring out why you feel love toward someone. It’s to decide how much you want to love them. And in that process, you could break any love there ever was between the two of you. It’s a risk only you can decide to take or not. </em></p><p> </p><p>It was a sunny Friday in the city of Zootopia. Mammals of all shapes and sizes were walking around, enjoying the small things in life. Some were gathering groceries for their families. Others were out walking, enjoying the sun. Life was good.<br/>
<br/>
At the corner of a street, there was a popular café attended by only the finest of animals. The ones wearing stunning outfits, making one wonder how they could be so ridiculously successful. Those mammals that made others green with envy. </p><p> </p><p>The café name was “La Belle Vie,” owned by a polar bear famous for his hot chocolate and tasty croque-monsieur. The café had been around for several years. Among its customers was a wolf couple, sitting on the terrace under a parasol. The two were chatting about the latest song by Gazelle</p><p> </p><p>“This beat’s amazing!!” The female squealed, dancing to the music blasting out of her earbuds.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s Gazelle, hon. What’d you expect?” The male wolf sitting in front of her answered, taking a sip of his coffee.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, this song makes me want to go on a ride with you! Driving as fast as we can, away from everything, just you and me!” She beamed, her eyes closed to picture the lovely scenery. Her majestic husband driving a cabriolet while she sat in the passenger seat. How his white groomed fur would reflect the rays of sunshine onto her frame.</p><p> </p><p>Her husband interrupted her thoughts. “Oh? Well, maybe we’ll do that for the weekend then!” He gazed at her lovingly. She was the perfect wife. Nothing could ruin this moment. </p><p> </p><p>“Really? Oh my dear wolfy, I’d love to--” The excited she-wolf sentence was cut short by the loud approach of an engine. A speeding car, fast enough to make their ears ring,  zipped by them, making both wolves drop their coffee. Behind the car was a ZPD SUV in pursuit.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh for fluff’s sake, I was enjoying that coffee!” The female yelled, paw formed into a fist in the air, waving at the speeding cars.</p><p> </p><p>Inside the SUV was the most recent and iconic duo among the ZPD, surpassing all previous records of culprits apprehended: a determined rabbit and a former con-artist fox. Judy Hopps &amp; Nick Wilde</p><p> </p><p>“Officer Hopps to central, we have a code 27-25, the culprit is inside a red vehicle, plate is 285-WFV. Over,” Judy stated to Clawhauser through the radio.</p><p> </p><p>The voice of the chubby cheetah came back. “An illegal ostrich race?!”</p><p> </p><p>Nick snickered, adjusting his sunglasses. “Classic.”</p><p> </p><p>Groaning, Judy shot him a half-glare, one eye still on the road.“No, that’s a 17-25, Clawhauser. This is a 27-25, robbery!” Judy corrected, taking a left turn to follow the car in front of them, avoiding the traffic on the road at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh right, sorry!” Clawhauser quickly answered, embarrassment audible in his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“And if you want my opinion, we’d already have caught him if I was driving,” Nick bragged with his usual smug smile.<br/>
<br/>
Judy rolled her eyes. “Trust me, nobody was asking.  Start the siren, Slick.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh boy, I thought you’d never ask!” Nick turned the lights and siren on. He pulled the window down and put his head outside. He then opened his maw, tongue dangling in the wind as he started to giggle.</p><p> </p><p>Judy took a quick glance at the fox, grunting in annoyance. “Nick, come on, focus, it’s not a parade! They could be armed!”</p><p> </p><p>“Aw, Carrots, you can’t enjoy the little things in life, can you?” Nick said in mock sadness, getting his head back inside. He wound up the window but was soon taken by surprise. The SUV made a sudden turn, his face pressed against the glass.</p><p> </p><p>“Fluff, be careful, I just groomed my fur this morning!” Nick huffed, grabbing the roof handle.</p><p> </p><p>Judy smirked and replied back with sass. She knew how to tame him. “Oh, the poor widdle fox. I’ll be sure to warn you next time, sweetheart.”<br/>
<br/>
Seconds later, the car in front of them came to a stop. The culprit got out and started running on the sidewalk, pushing the passersby to make way through the crowded area. Judy stopped as well, both officers stepping out of the SUV to pursue the criminal. Nick looked at Judy and pointed the opposite way.</p><p> </p><p>“Carrots, flank them, I’ll give the chase and make sure they go right at you!” Nick declared. Judy nodded and went the other way around, picking up her walkie talkie to contact the station.</p><p> </p><p>“Officer Hopps here, the culprit has abandoned his car, Officer Wilde’s in pursuit, I’m trying to get behind them. Over!” The small doe sprinted as fast as she could to catch up to Nick and the criminal. She weaved in and out among the crowd of mammals, shouting a vague apology as she slid under some of the larger ones. As she was sprinting like her life depended on it, Nick’s voice suddenly came from her walkie talkie. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey hey hey, calm down there buddy, you don’t want to shoot an officer and add another crime to your list right? We’re in a cul-de-sac anyway, where would you go after that?”</p><p> </p><p>Oh no, Nick was in trouble! She quickly put the pieces together. He had given her his position. She stopped running, looked at the sky, lost in her thought process.<br/>
<br/>
“A dead-end… A dead-end…” Her left foot was tapping against the floor like a drummer would during a metal concert. “Oh yeah, the Full Moon street’s dead-end! I can connect there by my side!” She exclaimed and then resumed her race.</p><p> </p><p>If she was running fast before, now she was like a bullet piercing through the air! She needed to protect her partner, her friend, her fox! Her fox? Whatever! She needed to protect Nick! Judy would never forgive herself if something happened to him. After only a matter of seconds, she arrived at the other side of the dead-end. There was one slight problem though: a 10-foot tall wall separated her from Nick and the criminal!</p><p> </p><p>She turned off her walkie talkie to avoid being spotted as she could now hear the culprit talking. His voice came with an angry growl.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, cop! You think this city will miss a stupid fox like you? Nah, they’ll be happy to find your corpse!” The pig snapped at Nick, his hooves shaking. The tod tried his best to remain calm. This didn’t need to get personal.<br/>
<br/>
“Still adds a crime on your list, buddy. You don’t want to rot in jail forever, I can assure you that. Come on, drop the gun and we’ll settle this, yeah?” Nick said in a low voice, keeping his palm towards the criminal while approaching step by step. De-escalation was practically his middle name.</p><p> </p><p>The cornered criminal gulped heavily and started to shout. “I’m no coward! I don’t give a damn about jail! State your last words right now, ‘cause I’m gonna blow your fucking head off right here, foxy!”</p><p> </p><p>Alright, so maybe de-escalation <em> wasn’t </em> his middle name. Diplomacy wasn’t an option anymore. To be honest, Nick was starting to panic. The no-brainers were the worst kind of criminals because they couldn’t be tricked with words. His eyes scanned everywhere for an escape when he suddenly noticed something that made him grin. He had found his solution.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Nick talked in a calm and serious voice while his paws moved as if he was speaking with them. “Alright. I’ve got a question for you then. Do you believe in flying rabbits?”</p><p> </p><p>The thug was confused. “In flying fucking wha-” Before he could finish his sentence, Judy landed on the hog, skillfully kicking his gun away! The criminal didn’t have time to react before his arms were already cuffed behind his back.</p><p> </p><p>Nick approached the apprehended pig, looking over him while sporting a shit-eating smile. “You are under arrest for robbery, speeding, threatening an officer of the law, and refusal to comply. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be--”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Used against me, yeah, I know the drill. Fuck you! You foxes always got a trick up yer sleeves!” The criminal barked at Nick, cutting him off.</p><p> </p><p>After making sure the handcuffs were locked tightly, Judy looked up at Nick, beaming. “Good job, Nick! You handled that like a pro!”</p><p> </p><p>The fox still sported a grin, shrugging his shoulders. “Well Carrots, I am indeed a pro, thanks for stating the obvious.” He picked up his walkie talkie, ready to announce the catch when out of nowhere, the pig started speaking.<br/>
<br/>
“Nick? <em> The </em>Swift Nick? You became a freaking officer? Bwahaha, pretty ironic for a fox!” He stated with a deep and throaty laugh worthy of a pig.</p><p> </p><p>Nick’s tail dropped slightly, his ears flattening against his head. He could try with all of his might, but his damn past would always come back to haunt him. There always was someone to rub that fact in his face. He really wanted to change, to be a better fox. For his mama. For his Carrots. But the road to forgiveness was filled with obstacles, just like the unforgivable journey to the top of the highest mountains.</p><p> </p><p>Judy saw the shameful expression on Nick’s face and decided to stand up for him, just like he would for her. She got closer to the hog, determined to speak her mind.<br/>
<br/>
“Listen here, you criminal. You can’t change someone’s past, that’s for sure. But I won’t let you say such awful stuff about my partner!” She took a pause, her nose twitching once. “He had a rough past, an illegal one even. That much is a fact, I can’t deny it. And despite that, he still became the very first fox cop of this city. He is the perfect example that you can be whatever you want to be, despite what closed-minded people like you say!” </p><p> </p><p>She ended her little speech with a smile toward Nick. She knew arguing against that thug was useless, but she was doing it for her partner more than anything else. She wanted to show him how glad she was to have him as a partner.</p><p> </p><p>“Fluff, you didn’t have to, really. But I appreciate it,” Nick thanked her. They’d gone through a lot in the span of his first month as a cop, but saving his life was new. New as in for the second time. He remembered how all of this happened because some bunny outsmarted him. It might be the only time in his life he was thankful for being hustled.</p><p> </p><p>“You two’re gonna kiss or what?” Suddenly came in the voice of the cuffed criminal laying on the floor. Nick and Judy looked at each other, locking eyes for a brief second before looking away bashfully. Nick was the first to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, enough of this, let’s take him back to the station Carrots. We did great today,” he continued with a paw over his chest. “Even if we can agree that I did all the work.”</p><p> </p><p>Judy huffed and kicked him with her elbow. “Excuse me? I saved your fluffy ass over there, Officer Wilde!”<br/>
<br/>
Nick snickered heartfully, looking over at his rabbit partner. He could never show enough gladness to whatever blessed him with such a lovely gift.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strike> <em> Dear diary. </em> </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strike> <em> Dear book that will hold my thoughts. </em> </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strike> <em> hey wassup, it’s me Nick Wilde, the pathetic fox haha. </em> </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Urgh. I don’t know how to start this. I guess starting by stating that is good enough. </em>
</p><p><em> I don’t know who I’m writing to. My future me? A stranger? ...Her? </em> <em><br/>
<br/>
</em></p><p><em> So uh, hi, you. If you aren’t me, you shouldn’t be reading this I guess. I could arrest you for sniffing in… wait I can’t do that anymore, that’s right. Well uh, just respect my private life and don’t read, yeah? Except if you’re a cute bunny. And if it’s like a version of me that forgot everything reading this, sit down Nicky, because this is gonna get “wilde!”. </em> <em><br/>
<br/>
</em></p><p>
  <em> Note to self: I need to lay off the dad-jokes. And the blueberries too. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It’s 11:02pm. It’s uh… Friday? I don’t know. Nothing makes sense anymore. I’ve been here for like three days in a row. I can’t think anymore. Which guided me to pick up this pen and a book. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I’ve followed Judy’s advice. She once told me that if I ever felt lost, sad, angry, upset, in short: if I felt emotionally unstable, that I should put down my thoughts on paper. I laughed at her and told her that I had passed this phase before. But… I guess I didn’t. I guess I’m emotionally unstable right now after everything that has happened. I guess I need to figure out my feelings so I can decide what to do. </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> It’s pretty sweet irony how it’s because of her that I’m writing. Well, not “because” of her but rather the lack of her. The only thing she left me is her carrot pen, oddly enough. I still listen to the recording it holds from time to time... </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Everything happened so fast, I’m still confused. I still don’t understand how my life got turned upside-down. I try to make sense of the events, but nothing is coherent. She disappeared so suddenly. </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> Damn it… I miss Judy. I miss my partner. She was the perfect little bunny, with her spark of determination in her purple eyes. She understood me, she was there for me. Thanks to her, I was finally able to shift my cynical point of view. To see the world with better eyes and to believe in this city. Mama was so proud of me too. Proud that her son left hustling behind to become a police officer. All of that is just the past now I guess. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh well. I’m crying. Hey tears, it’s been a while since we saw each other. Now the paper is all wet. Good job, Nicholas. Another victory in a long line of successes, right? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> … </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ha. Gets funnier every time. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ... </em>
</p><p><br/>
<em> … Okay, let’s go for the idea that this is me without memories reading this, I guess. I need to make this as dramatic as possible, as if I was writing the next big hit novel! I need to get you on the edge of your seat, to reveal the origin story of this former-conman-turned-cop-turned-conman-again! I shall call this masterpiece: </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> “Lost Memories” </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> Yup. That’s the name. I couldn't come up with something better even if I tried. </em><br/>
<em><br/>
</em>So, let me tell you the story of this fox, that way I’ll finally be able to move on. This is the slow descent into the abyss I partook in. How...  Judy slowly faded away from my life, as if she had never existed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A big thanks to the members of the Z.A.A community for making this possible, you're awesome guys. Huge shoutout to my beta-readers: Rynadine (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rynadine/pseuds/Rynadine), FoxOS, Peter (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/7958360/), and Dakzoo.<br/>This story would be HALF as good without them, I swear, go check them out!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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